German luxury powerhouse Mercedes-Benz has launched new 2018 S-Class for the Indian market today. Initially, the Mercedes-Benz flagship was launched in India in 2014. The 2018 S-Class comes as a mid-cycle or mid-life facelift to one of the most popular luxury saloons worldwide. With over 6700 units being sold in India over 18 years, the S-Class has been very popular amongst Indian customers. The 2014 S-Class, when launched, was a true game-changer for Mercedes-Benz taking automotive design, innovation, engineering, safety and luxury standards to a whole new level.
The new 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is more of a cosmetic facelift than a completely revamped new car when compared to its predecessor. The major changes on the outside are the new LED headlamps and a redesigned LED taillamp section. The interior remains the same - there are a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a new leather, wood trim for the interiors. The 2018 S-Class now supports wireless-charging, a new 360 camera along with park assist. Mercedes has introduced the ‘Air-Balance Package’ allowing the customer to select from 6 personalized car fragrances adding a sense of personal flair, luxury. The ambient lighting system now gets a choice of 64 colors to choose from. The S-Class remains the longest car in the segment, the new rejigged air-suspension ensures you ride in the lap of luxury. The major changes come under the hood. The 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class gets new engine options – the S350 gets a new 3.0 L in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine producing 286 bhp of max power while the S450 gets a new V6 3.0 L petrol engine producing 367 bhp of max power. It is interesting to note that the new 2018 S-Class is powered by the first BS-VI compliant diesel engine in India.
With prices starting at Rs.1.33 Crore for the S350 (Diesel) and Rs.1.37 Crore the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a benchmark and it seems to remain there. With the new Audi A8 also around the corner, the executive saloon segment seems ready for an interesting competition.
